The present disclosure relates to a display/input device including a display panel and a touch panel. The present disclosure relates also to an image forming apparatus incorporating such a display/input device.
On an information processing device such as a computer, a particular object (image) can be specified by use of a device such as a mouse or a touch panel. For example, a process can be executed to move the specified object to a desired position within image data. An information processing device as described below is known which allows specification of an object.
Specifically, in a known information processing device, an object is displayed; specification of a plurality of positions on display means is recognized; the position (first position) at which one of a plurality of objects is displayed is recognized; while a position (second position) where a specified object is not being displayed is recognized, when movement of the second position is detected, the objects other than the specified object are scrolled.
An image forming apparatus such as a copier, a multifunction peripheral, a printer, or a facsimile machine is often provided with an operation panel (display/input device). The operation panel is provided with a display portion (display panel) for displaying screens and a touch panel. Through detection of operation on software keys displayed in screens, setting operations by a user are accepted.
On the operation panel of an image forming apparatus, a user makes an operation to select a job to be executed, makes an operation to select a setting item for the selected job, and enters a setting value for the selected setting item. On the display panel are displayed a screen for selection of a job, a screen for selection of a setting item, and a screen for entry of a setting value for the selected setting item. By making touch operations on software keys displayed in each screen, the user makes settings to obtain desired results.
Here, as image forming apparatuses evolve in functionality, a large number of setting items related to jobs are available; as for screens for selection of setting items alone, there are provided a plurality of them. A user first goes through all the screens to get an idea of which setting items can be selected on which screens and then proceeds to make settings. Here, the user switches from one screen for selecting a setting item to another while checking them; thereafter, the user selects setting items and sets setting values. During this checking procedure, the user has to switch screens repeatedly to and fro to select setting items, thus requiring troublesome operation. Also to confirm the setting values that have been set, the user again has to switch screens repeatedly to and fro.
With the known information processing device mentioned above, what is achieved is simply to switch background screens according to a scroll operation while keeping the specified object at a fixed position; a user cannot jump (switch) to a desired screen by a simple operation. Moreover, to grasp the entire image data, the user needs to look over the entire image data by continuing the scroll operation; this requires the user to switch screens repeatedly to and fro. Thus, no solution to troublesome operation is obtained.